Alvin o



,(No Model.)

A. 0, HALL. I INKING RIBBQN ALARM FOR TYPE. WRITING MACHINES. No.314,016. Patented Mar. 1'7, 1885; 566/.

N. Pmns. muun w. wnhmmm me UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN O. HALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lNKlNG-RIBBONALARM FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHlNES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,016, dated March17, 1885. Application filed March 24, 1684. (NOmodel 1 To aZZ whom, itmay concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN O. HALL, of New York city, county and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in InkingRibbon Alarms for Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention is especially applicable in connection with inking-ribbonsemployed upon type-writing machines, and its object-is to provide asimple and cheap appliance whereby an alarm or other indicatingmechanism may be operated in connection with an inking-ribbon and beautomatically actuated or released when the ribbon reaches or approachesits limit of travel. By my improvements 1' supply an alarm which willwarn the operator to shift the ribbon-feeding mechanism; and the saidimprovements involve certain novel andusefnl arrangements of parts, aswill be hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a top or plan view, and Fig. 3'an endelevation, illustrating an appliance or arrangement adapted to operatein accordance with my invention, the writing mechanism being omitted asnot being essential to the illustration. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are sideelevations showing various forms which may be given the trippingappliance, which is connected with the ribbon, these figures being on alarger scale than the others.

In all these figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur,indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the inking-ribbon, which is wound upon and unwound from thespools B B at either side of the type-writer, and thus made to traversethe machine from left to right or from right to left, accordingly as thefeeding mechanism is adjusted.

G G are the ordinary flexible end pieces with which theribbon is usuallyconnected; butthese may be omitted and the ribbon applied directly tothe spools. At suitable points upon these pieces or upon the ribbonlaffix lugs or .pro-

jections a a, or equivalent devices arranged to lift or otherwise permitthe movement of a slight wire or other arm, as D, the same beingsuitably connected with any convenient part ofthe frame of the machine.The lifting or movement of this wire causes the indicator to be releasedor actuated. The indicator may be arranged to appeal to the eye or tothe ear.

At E is a light flap of metal or other material, hinged to a convenientsupport at its base, and having its upper end supported, as by aprojection, 1), upon the wire or arm D. Vhen the support is removed,this flap drops down within sight of the operator and will at once warnhim of the position of the inking-ribbon. This method is preferred tothe ringing ofa bell, for the reason that it is not desirable to add tothe number of bells already employed in o'r on the type-writer, but thebell-ringing arrangement is very simple and is within the scope of myinvention. Fig. Ssho'ws one manner in which it may be arranged, in whichfigure 0 represents the bell, and at its striker. The latter is releasedas soon as the flap drops down, in a manner which will be readilyunderstood.

The lug or tripper connected with the ribbon may. be ofany form, andwhen projecting to any considerable extent from the surface of theribbon the spool may be provided with a cavity, as at e, foraccommodation of the lug, so as not to interfere with the smooth windingof the ribbon. ln Fig. 6 the tripper is shown as composed of two parts,one hinged upon the other, and provided with a simple stop, f, thepurpose of which is to sustain one of the parts when they are free to beopened. This form is folded up as the ribbon is wound and will notoccupy too great space, even without a cavity in the spool for itsreception.

The tripper maybe of a variety of forms, and may be connected with theribbon (or with the end pieces) in any manner.

The arrangement above indicated has been found in practice to admirablyanswer the purposes or object of the invention as previously set forth;but I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to any specificdevices herein shown. Different patterns of machines may requireslightly different arrangements or locations of parts.

In Fig. 1 the ribbon is shown as wound upon the spool at the left so faras to bring the tripper at the right in contact with the bar arm D.Further movement of the ribbon will cause the raising of the bar and themovement of the alarm. The operator is thus notified that he shouldshift his feeding appliances in such manner as to wind the ribbon on thespool at the right, and when it is sufficiently Wound thereon thetripper upon the other side Will be brought into position to actuate thealarm, and so on as the ribbon travels in one direction or the other.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with an inking-ribbon of a type-Writer, a suitabletripping device, substantially as described, and an alarm mechanor Iism, substantially as described, arranged to be released through themedium of said tripping device, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. lhe inking-ribbon, the trippers applied in connection therewith, themovable bar or arm, and an alarm mechanism, substantially as described,arranged and combined substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN O. HALL.

XVitnesses:

J OHN BUCKLER, WORTH OSGOOD.

